Skip to content

Abstract Search

Primary Submission Category: Race/Ethnicity

Double Colonization in Community-engaged Research: The Role of Mediators in Racialized Knowledge Production

Authors:  Lida Sarafrazarpatapeh,

Presenting Author: Lida Sarafrazarpatapeh*

This paper examines the role of mediators in minority and indigenous community-engaged research, highlighting potential ethical challenges. Increasingly, minority mediators are recruited for clinical trials to bridge cultural and linguistic gaps, but their involvement may inadvertently reinforce power imbalances and ethical issues. Using two case studies from 1950s Iran, I explore how Kurdish and Arab minority communities were subjected to “double colonization”—oppression from both Western scientists and Iranian elites. While postcolonial feminist theory originally framed “double colonization” as patriarchal and colonial oppression faced by women in colonized nations, I apply it here to illustrate how minority communities face exploitation within scientific research.

Through the historical cases, I show how differences within minority groups can lead to unequal power dynamics and conflicts of interest, often overlooked in research policies and practices. This paper argues for a nuanced approach to minority representation in research, cautioning that mediators may prioritize their status over community needs, perpetuating colonial dynamics. Finally, I discuss the contemporary relevance of double colonization in participatory science and call for ethical frameworks that address complex intra-community dynamics in global health research.